Red and Blue Bandanas
by Enero25
Summary: Sokka and Zuko are both family men, with a lot accomplished and a lot more to do. But the world is in upheaval, and grabbing onto someone for support means nothing when they're just as unsteady.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Well, it's literally been years since I've written anything for fun, and the past few days I've been on an Avatar fanfiction bender. Seriously. It's been keeping me up until 3 or 4 in the morning, thank goodness it's been spring break. Anyway, this is going to be a challenging story, because I want to get the characters right, but more mature, I'll be writing teenage characters, which will be interesting, and I'll be writing ROMANCE without getting too sappy or too flippant, which will be...difficult for me. Constructive criticism will be necessary, I think, so thank you in advance for reading and reviewing!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or its associated properties.

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><p>Sweat, ash, smoke, and moisture.<p>

Those were what triggered the most memories. They hung in the air, wrapped in the overwhelming smell of the ocean, but when those scents on the wind reached Sokka standing on the deck of the ship, he could feel the memories welling up behind his eyes, strong enough almost to push the view of shoreline from his sight. Memories of fear and subversion, of concealment and a sickly paranoia that had clung to him for weeks on end, before giving way to the euphoria of victory that had muddled his head for _weeks_ after the fall of the Fire Lord. The dichotomy between the feel of those memories was almost savory, like biting into a piece of meat soaked in sweet and sour sauce. Sokka could enjoy it, even as a twinge of uncertainty began to gnaw at him as the harbor came closer.

Twenty years.

How could it possibly have been that long? But the passage of time was plain to see. The rebuilt and expanded Southern Water Tribe city had been proof of that as he saw it sliding backwards over the horizon when the journey began, but watching the Fire Nation capital approach with its shining new highrise buildings, elevated train system, and enormous shipyards filled with ship after steel ship, a thriving metropolis built on trade rather than war, Sokka leaned forward on the cold metal railing as he felt time weighing on his shoulders. The city was completely different. What about its occupants?

Hence the uncertainty, a small but persistent doubt that Sokka had felt many times before, the kind that appeared before seeing someone that he had known well, but no longer knew how well he knew them now. He smiled wanly at the twisted sentiment, but clarity had never been his strong points, even within his own mind. He could see what was and what needed to be done and he did it, and spirits help whomever he had to explain his actions to, because no medium besides action had ever appealed to him as a way of explanation. In the Water Tribe in which he had grown up, that was rarely a problem. It didn't take more than a few hand signals to effectively coordinate a hunt or more than a few yelled commands to direct troops in battle. Plans always went wrong, anyway, and improvisation had saved him more times than he had fingers. And toes. And hairs. _More than I can count, ok?_

But nowadays, with a growing tribe with growing needs…

The world was changing. He had fought to rebalance the world, but he hadn't realized it would be a new balance, a balance which was rapidly throwing people to the ground if they couldn't strike a new stance quickly enough. As he watched the ship pass by the fire-crowned sentinel towers that marked the civilian harbor entrance, Sokka reflected on the lessons he had received from Master Piandao about stances. _A strong stance is a strong foundation, but never forget that an earthquake may liquefy the foundation's foundation _he mused, idly tracing the movements of dockhands preparing for the arrival of the Water Tribe ship. His smile grew stronger as he noted, even at this distance, the looks of surprise and scrutiny as the ship drew alongside the dock far more nimbly and stopping far too quickly for a ship her size, but Sokka guessed they weren't used to waterbending-assisted trimming and docking procedures. It was odd enough for a steel ship to be flying Water Tribe colors-that her engines would be supplemented by a dedicated trio of waterbenders (_Southern_ waterbenders) wouldn't be expected of backwards, overly traditional tribal aborigines who had teetered at the edge of extinction for a century. Most of their trading fleet were still wooden and wind-powered, after all. But not all, and the last wooden military vessel commissioned by the Southern Water Tribe (_and what a foreign term that was!_) had already been half-built when Sokka returned home from the Hundred Year War. But they were there, below deck, Hama, Fyatto and Yaj, three waterbenders who specialized in helping steel behemoths power through the seas with more speed and agility than coal could provide alone. They had even given Kya some pointers that she swore would help her show up all the apprentices when she arrived in the North. Not that she needed many…

Docking was complete, and the gangplanks were in place. An official-looking man in clothes of imperial red strode out of what could only be the harbor master's post, looking expectedly at the first men and women disembarking with various supplies.

Sokka stood away from the railing and stretched his arms upward, groaning as several cracks sounded from his spine, before sweeping up a canvas knapsack at his feet and swinging it onto his back with a gentle _plof_, on the opposite side from his sword, of course. He walked, silently as usual, down a flight of stairs into the ship's interior. He reached the passageway with the open hold door where a gangplank was laid and looked around quizzically. Men and women were trickling to the gangplank with various boxes and bags. Kya had said she only needed something from the cabin…

"Here I am, Dad!"

Her voice, so like her aunt's, was hoarse from panting as she burst out of an open doorway to his right. She skidded to a halt in front of him, breathing deeply as she regained her breath and looking up at him, her father's blue eyes twinkling so merrily from her face that he couldn't help but smile back. Luckily, her eyes and her skin color were the only things she had inherited straight from her father. Her nose had settled on the midpoint between his own and Suki's, but everything else, from the shape of her eyes and lips to the shade of her brown hair, was Suki. She even carried herself like Suki had, with the brash, confident grace that marked the Kyoshi Warrior style.

"And where have you been, Miss Oh-No-I'll-Be-Right-Back-Don't-Let-Them-Dock-The-Ship-Without-Me?" he asked, reaching out to tug a hair-loopy back in place from behind her ear. "The ship has sailed on that one."

She rolled her eyes at his joke. "Yaj was showing me how to swing the bow over without smashing the dock. It's actually pretty hard! You hafta be powerful enough to move the ship but careful enough to make sure it slows down before-"

"And did you or didn't you remember the reason you went below in the first place?" A grin split Sokka's face as Kya yelped, twisted and ran.

"I'll be right back! For real this time!" she yelled over her shoulder before disappearing around a corner. It wasn't a huge ship, but Sokka knew she would be a little while. Perhaps he should go greet the official, whoever he was, while she took care of whatever she needed. But no, he seemed to recall something about _proper procedure_ or _diplomatic protocol_ or something equally headache-inducing. He and his-entourage?-couldn't disembark until they were completely assembled for public viewing. He smirked a little, remembered how Toph's sarcasm had dripped all over "public viewing" the first time she'd explained it to him. The clothing he wore would be stifling once he got out into the sun, and the public viewing him would be likely to note how utterly unsuited Watertribesmen were to the tropical heat. But protocol was protocol, and if that meant the tribe had to waste time and coin on a ceremonial outfit that he would be wearing a total of four times on this months-long journey…

Not that it was a bad outfit, he thought, catching a blurry image of himself in the highly polished steel wall opposite him. It was in the style of the warrior uniform, deep blue trimmed with white fur and a half moon splayed across his chest, but the cloth was much finer than any warrior's kit he had worn during the war-real silk imported with the proceeds of the Southern Water Tribe's growing wealth, so that the blue shimmered with points of white light even in the dim passageway. The half moon was outlined with real silver thread, and the fur was the result of months of hunting hare-foxes, soft and white bordering translucence. Hare-foxes he himself had hunted. As long as he was going to be wearing it, he might as well help gain the materials for it, after all.

But still, it was utilitarian. Even from a distance he could tell that the official waiting for him on the docks below wore robes that were much richer than his, but it was a reminder of just what it took to be the future Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. He had fought battles alongside the Avatar, trained with the best warriors, and had claimed victory where none had seemed possible. He didn't need clothes to command respect; he had wretched it from the field of battle with his bare hands.

And it showed, he was pleased to see. He had grown taller since the war, his face had matured under the unforgiving midnight sun, his hair hung to his shoulders, and his body had filled out into the lean warrior he had always dreamed of becoming. _Not bad,_ he thought, half turning and flexing a little to see how his muscles moved under the silk. _Not bad at all_. Even twenty years after he was last seen in these parts, he could still claim his title as Sokka, Ladykiller of the South, ready to dazzle and ensnare beautiful women with just an easy smile and a raised eyebrow.

And it had been a long time since anyone had seen a dazzling smile on his face. Not since-

The sound of tigerseal boots thudding on steel announced the return of his daughter long before she rounded the corner again, this time with a satchel swinging from her arm.

"A handbag?" he asked with a degree of amused disbelief. "You needed your handbag before we left? Kya, I know a young lady has needs, but this is-"

"Not just the handbag!" Kya snapped, rolling her eyes. "Before we left, I got something from Aunt Katara, something she said she'd found in-but I'm wearing them! See?" she grinned and gracefully turned in a full circle, stopping to look at him hopefully.

It was times like this that he wished he'd spent a little less time training with swords and more learning what girls wanted him to see. He had thought this point would be moot after the wedding, but a wife and a daughter had patiently (and not so patiently) taught him otherwise. Now, however, he had no idea what he was supposed to be looking at while she spun, yet Kya thought it was obvious, that much was certain. Well, all he could do was guess, so…

"Um…"

Her smile faded a little, annoyance creeping in. He gulped, and looked harder. His daughter's formal wear couldn't possibly match the opulence they were likely to see up in the palace, but the seamstresses back home had outdone themselves regardless. Like him, she was dressed in a simple design based on the parkas and pants they wore in their homeland, but made of whispering, light blue silk. Darker blue thread was embroidered in the shape of moons and waves that signified her status as a powerful waterbender, and her sleeves carried the fur of the very best hare-foxes he could find after scouring the tundra for days of travel from their city. Blue cords were woven into her hair-loopies, with silver clips that glittered with-

_Oh, thank you, most blessed Yue!_

"Are those real sapphires?" he asked, poking the clips that held the loopies in place.

Kya grinned with relief. "Yes! All the way from the jewelers of Ba Sing Se, can you believe it?"

"Given the way your aunt and uncle travel? I can." His smile was tinged with relief, too. It didn't go well when someone missed something Kya thought was obvious. But now that that was settled, they could go and-

"Aunt Katara even sent some for you!"

"What." His flat tone didn't ruffle his daughter, as she reached into her satchel. He looked at the clips in her hair, noticing that the clips were in the shape of butterflies. Not the sort of thing to go on the braid framing the right side of his face, or on the wolf tail keeping part of his hair back. "Mine better be shaped like wolves. Or at least an otter-penguin." He did not put it past his sister to let her niece put otter-penguin clips in his wolf tail.

"Come on, Dad, nobody wants to see _that_." Kya's face was bent over the satchel, but he could practically hear her eyes roll for the third time in ten minutes. "They'll be manly enough for you-aha!" And she withdrew her hand from the satchel and thrust out an open palm. In it were a simple, clear blue bead and a sapphire embedded in a silver clasp with a thin strip of cloth threaded through it. "See? You'll hardly notice them. Here, bend over." Sokka raised an eyebrow again but dutifully leaned over so his daughter could slip the bead up and over the blue band that held his braid. Then she swept behind him to swap out the band in his hair with the ornamented one. Once she was done, she stepped back and prowled around him, surveying from every angle. He straightened into a rigid military stance, eyes straight ahead, waiting.

She stopped in front of him, nodded once, then broke into a smile and hugged him. He relaxed immediately and wrapped his arms around her.

"You look great, Dad. The Fire Lord won't recognize you."

"I hope not. The time before last I was here, I was blowing up his city!" She laughed, the sound of it musically echoing in the passageway. "You look beautiful, Kya. Your mother would be so proud to see you." A flash of sadness passed through his heart, and he saw it mirrored on his daughter's face. He quickly pressed on. "Not that you're not always beautiful, I mean, you're always pretty and I'm always driving away suitors who don't deserve you and it doesn't matter what you're wearing because true beauty-" He felt a hand press against his lips.

"Thanks, Dad." Kya's eyes were soft. "Should we go?"

He breathed deep and let it out in a rush. "I guess we should. Never a better time than now, I guess." He turned and offered his arm, and Kya hooked her elbow with his. Together they strode out into the bright sun.

Walking slowly to let their eyes adjust, Sokka soon spotted the official he had seen earlier, waiting at the foot of the gangplank. He was thoroughly bureaucratic, average height with thin hands clasped in front of him, thin face with watery eyes looking mildly at them from beneath slim, black eyebrows, hair jet black and slicked back with not a strand out of place, and immaculately dressed in imperial red robes which barely swished the ground. _I'm going to be hearing the word 'quite' and 'very good' from him. A lot._

As Sokka and Kya reached the bottom of the gangplank, the official strode forward, spreading his arms in welcome. Sokka noted the neutral gesture. "Good day to you, Sokka Hakoda's son of the Southern Water Tribe," he said, his voice sounding a bit louder than one would expect from one of his stature, but with the same detached courtesy Sokka had learned to expect from all bureaucrats in Official Mode. "Good day to you, Kya Sokka's daughter. I am Jorun, Deputy Minister of Homeland Policy. Welcome to the Fire Nation. I trust your journey went quite well?"

Sokka bowed his head slightly, and felt Kya do the same. "Yes, thank you. We are honored to meet you, Deputy Minister Jorun." He could already feel the sun beating down on him, heating his dark clothes. Sweat was beading on his face. He suddenly remembered tales Katara would tell him of officials and bureaucrats dragging on official welcomes while the sun shone mercilessly or rain and snow lashed at them. How long were official Fire Nation welcomes? He had no idea.

Jorun inclined his head slightly, acknowledging Sokka's reply. "Have you any objections if we proceed to the palace immediately? The Fire Lord is honored by your visit, and wishes to see you as soon as may be. Your goods will be sent to the palace with all possible speed."

"Yes, that would be fine," Sokka said, trying to keep his voice level so as not to show his relief too obviously.

"Very good. If you and the Lady Kya would be so kind as to follow me." Jorun turned and began walking along the pier. Sokka and Kya followed behind, Kya giggling as quietly as she could at being called a _lady_. Sokka looked down at her.

"Don't be getting any ideas," he teased. "_He_ may think you're a lady, but I know-"

Kya poked him in the ribs with an elbow with the inconspicuous speed and force of a Kyoshi Warrior. It would have been hard to believe she was sixteen, if her mother and father hadn't been up to certain adventures at her age. "From what Aunt Katara has told me, the ladies I'll be meeting won't be very ladylike at all," she whispered, a note of trepidation in her voice. "Stuck up highborns who won't like associating with a Water Tribe peasant."

Sokka nodded, a hand stroking his short goatee. "Go with a water whip to the face. If you must strike, make sure you only need to strike once."

If Jorun noticed the half-shocked, half-amused sound Kya made, he gave no sign as he lead them to some-

"_Palanquins?_"

"Oh, yes, quite. It's the proper way to bring honored guests to the palace. Quite the honor indeed, sir."

Sokka tried very hard not to laugh in the man's face. Of all the ridiculous- "Ah…thank you, Deputy Minister, I'm sure it's a very-um, relaxing way to travel," he said, looking at the rather forlorn troupe of palace servants ready to heave the ornate, red-and-gold palanquins-spirits, they had a separate one for Kya-all the way up the steep, crowded, hot, sunny, filled-with-Fire-Nationals-who-may-or-may-not-welcome-them streets between the harbor and the palace.

"…you know, come to think of it, I've always wanted a ride in these things. What do you think, Kya?" he turned to her to see her outright boggling at the palanquin reserved for her. Four musclebound, thuggish men were assigned to it, looking like anyone who approached them would be chewed up, spat out, and ground into the dirt.

_Ah, the Fire Lord knows how a man likes to protect his daughter._

"Well, then! Off we go!" And he pushed Kya towards them and very nearly _bounced_ into his palanquin, kneeling excitedly and beaming at the servants as they hefted him up. Jorun began to slide thick curtains to shield him from view, but Sokka waved him off. He wanted to see the city, after all. He did lean over to the deputy minister and say softly, "Make sure my daughter goes in front, and that I can see her at all times." Jorun was too well-schooled to gulp or react in any way, but he paused briefly and nodded before moving to speak briefly with the thugs carrying Kya. Sokka leaned back and thought _Ah. Well, that confirms we're not entirely welcome. Not surprising._ They moved to the harbor entrance and out into the city beyond, Jorun walking between the palanquin, slightly head of Sokka.

Trained with a warrior's eye, Sokka took in a lot of details as they wound from the harbor up towards the palace, matching what he saw with the maps and scrolls that had reached the Southern Water Tribe. It was just passing noon when they arrived, so the streets were fairly crowded with people looking for a quick lunch before returning to their business. Sokka let his eyes slide over them, judging their reactions to seeing palanquins cutting through the busy masses and seeing _him_ dressed in Water Tribe finery. Most of the looks he caught were merely curious, a few even excited, but a disquieting number of eyes flashed with anger and pointedly looked away until they had passed. Sokka spared a glance out the corner of his eye when this happened and usually saw small knots of muttering people looking darkly after him. _Note to self: do not let Kya wander around by herself. _Disquieting as it was, it was far from the overwhelmingly bad reaction he had imagined in his darker, more paranoid moments as they had made the journey here, so Sokka had plenty of time and attention to spare to look at the city itself.

The civilian harbor hadn't existed twenty years ago when Sokka had assaulted the Fire Navy base just to its east. All supplies the capital city needed had been imported by the military, and only a few smaller fishing vessels had used the deep bay now encompassed by the harbor. The Fire Lord had built it in the hopes of attracting merchants drawn by proximity to the seat of power and the rather convenient crossroad the capital city offered with trade flowing east, north, and south, but even he had been astounded by the number of people who had come to set up shop in the plain between the volcanic caldera housing the palace and the new harbor, the city spreading first to the slopes of the caldera and the edges of the Fire Navy base, and then clockwise around the caldera before it was stopped by the pastures and farmland that fed the capital.

And so the new arrivals had nowhere to go but up.

Iron and steel were responsible for the new highrises sprouting all over the city. Sokka had heard that the Mechanist was rebuilding some of the towers of the Northern Air Temple with steel skeletons that would allow them to be twice as big as their predecessors, but he had doubted it until now, despite Aang's exuberant description. Some of these towers seemed impossibly high, and Sokka knew from experience that the higher you went, the faster the wind tended to blow. Being on top of those things must be like being on a ship at sea.

"Oh yes, quite." Jorun said when Sokka pointed this out. "Some people can get quite sick, but they can't make them too stiff or they'd fall over in a typhoon or earthquake. Quite the problem."

And if there was something that Sokka liked, it was a problem. Oh yes.

Besides the highrises, though, this new section was fairly traditional. Red and gold were the dominant colors, of course, with the flat water roofs and flame eaves to match his memories of the capital city within the caldera. But given the speed of its construction, he was impressed to see how wide the streets were-back home, the expansion had given rise to some very cramped quarters indeed, with some neighborhoods having little more than alleys to serve them. Much like the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, and he'd shuddered at some of the neighborhoods he had passed through when that section had been full to the brim with refugees. He asked Jorun about that, too, and got a shrug and a small smile.

"The Fire Lord has ruled that all streets on the island must be wide enough for two komodo rhinos to easily pass each other," he murmured, barely enough to be heard over the street activity. "The test is rather straightforward. Two komodo rhinos pass each other, and shove any offending structures out of the way."

_Ouch._ _That explains it._

They reached the slopes of the caldera before too long, the path full of switchbacks and curves like the one leading from the Fire Navy base. Sokka was particularly glad to be in the palanquin at this moment, but felt sorry for the servants carrying him, so like any good leader he coaxed and encouraged them. "Come on, we're almost there!" he called out, leaning out to one side and thumping the front right bearer on the shoulder. "Soon we'll be going downhill! Just hang on, you can do it!" he added, switching sides to give the rear left bearer a grin and a thumbs up.

"Dad!" his head snapped towards his daughter's voice. "They'd have it easier if you weren't throwing your weight all over the place!" Her curtains had been mostly closed during the walk, but she had drawn aside the curtain behind her and was glaring rather meaningfully over her shoulder.

Oh. Right. He sat in the dead center of his seat. "Yay. Go Team Palanquin." He turned his head to watch the panorama of the city spread below them as they went around a hairpin curve. They were a good distance up the slope, yet they were only now passing the roofs of the tallest highrises. Amazing.

Soon enough they were up and over the rim of the caldera, passing guards that scrutinized everyone carefully before waving them through. Sokka's breath hitched a little at the sight of the capital city below them. It was like stepping back in time. He almost felt fifteen again, looking down into this crater for the first time, still not believing that he was there as both victor and honored guest, that the war was over. Nothing he could see had changed since then. The streets were wide and grand, the buildings ornate with deep red, shining gold and whitewashed sides. It was almost painful to look at under the glaring sun, but he couldn't look away. It was like an anchor in a turbulent sea. _Maybe some things never change after all._

They descended into the caldera. The people here were far more differential, moving aside quickly and bowing with eyes closed and hands in the Flame until they were passed, then hurrying on. Once or twice he caught the eye of some official or servant as they waited for them to pass, but he couldn't sense the mood here as easily as in the civilian streets. Officials and servants were always in a hurry; it didn't matter if the issue at hand was a lack of jasmine tea or an all-out attack. _Although the palace may consider the lack of tea a higher priority these days._ Sokka drank in the city, marveling at how much he remembered after two decades, even spotting bushes he swore he remembered from the last time he was here. This was where he most strongly associated euphoria with, the place where he had been reunited with Dad and the invasion forces and had partied for weeks straight as they planned how to rebuild the world. Nothing had seemed impossible, because they had beaten the impossible. Nothing was out of their grasp.

And, lost in these recollections, Sokka missed how Kya's palanquin had slowed and pulled level with him. Kya's curtains were drawn aside now, and she was looking at her father with a soft expression. "Remembering the good old days?" she asked.

Sokka shook himself and smiled at her. "Yeah." Then he looked ahead and saw they had arrived at their destination.

Their bearers set the palanquins on the ground at the base of the low steps leading up into the palace and Sokka climbed out and began thanking and congratulating his on a job well done. "Work out the stiffness, that's right, get blood back in your arms, I know it was difficult, hey, is that a bruise? Oh, that'll be when I was moving around too fast, sorry about that-" Kya drifted over to his side after a shy and awkward "thank you" to her thugs. Jorun waited off to one side, letting Sokka clap his bearers once or twice on the shoulders and shake their arms to help the circulation to their obvious discomfort and shock before striding forward.

"If you would be so kind, please follow me to the audience chamber. The Fire Lord is-oh. Well, he's _here._"

Sokka's head swung around, and his jaw dropped a little. A tall, broadshouldered figure in robes of red and gold, the Golden Flames atop his topknot, was striding down the steps and landings. Tall, taller than Sokka and a tad broader, with jet black hair draped down his back and short, pointed goatee, and golden eyes that blazed with warmth. Sokka couldn't help glancing at the right eye before meeting the gaze squarely. This was it. This was Fire Lord-

"Zuko!" he yelled, closing the distance between them at a run and bearhugging him. He felt ribs creak a little, but after the briefest of moments Zuko was returning the full strength of the hug, a deep laugh booming. He broke the hug and whacked the taller man on the shoulder. It didn't faze him at all, he was pleased to see. "Good to see you, man!" he gushed, a dazzling smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Chapter Two: The Revenge. Not really.

This took a long time. External hard drive failures are distracting.

I hope everyone in the world has watched Legend of Korra by now-it looks like it's gonna be good! I found myself swooning over Mako, even as the logical center of my brain was screaming, "But he hasn't said _anything_ yet!" Which isn't strictly true, but it's fairly disturbing how much I like him already despite his having, what, maybe ten or fifteen lines so far? Maybe less? Korra herself and Jinora are awesome, too. "I will make no such promises," indeed.

And for the record, I chose Kya's name before I watched it, so Katara and Aang stole the name from under Sokka, alright? Alright.

As always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or its associated properties.

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><p>"So far, I really like these visits!"<p>

"We haven't even met our visitors yet."

"I know! But I didn't have to dress up, which is already a big plus!"

Zuko's eyebrows twitched as he strode through the labyrinthine corridors that wound through the palace. One of these days, Zouge would get used to the heavy, elaborate robes that took an hour and four servants to put on properly, but it seemed that day was a long way off. Zuko didn't particularly mind-he probably would have felt the same at that age if appearances hadn't been so important for winning the support of his more conservative supporters. A depressingly large percentage of his power base apparently believed that as long as the Fire Lord looked, moved, and spoke the right way, official policy was much, _much_ easier to accept. All the trappings of office had been fairly important to maintain in the early days of his reign, but dressing the part was easy, and if that meant more people were willing to stand by him while he played the part…well, it had been a small price to pay. These days, however, the situation had improved to where a teenager could be forgiven his, er, dislike-

"I _hatehatehate_ the imperial robes! Seriously, Dad, did our ancestors do something to piss off every tailor in the Fire Nation or something?"

-of royal attire. Spirits, even Mai pointing out how the number of weapons that could be hidden on his person rose exponentially with every layer of clothing did nothing to lift Zouge's mood when he was fully decked out as the Crown Prince of Fire Nation. Zuko could foresee a rather draconian reduction in the royal household's linen budget when his ashes were cold. Someday he would tell his son how hard he was working to make that sort of thing inconsequential by the time he passed on, but Zuko had learned the value of caution; better not to plant the idea in the boy's head before he had learned the importance of appearances.

On the other hand, if Yiyan had anything to say about the linen budgets-well, that was something his children could hammer out after he was safely dead.

_And I am so grateful I can say "hammer out" metaphorically._

They arrived at the high entrance chamber. The ornate doors stood open to the courtyard in welcome to their visitors, but the strong sunlight that spilled over the threshold had raised the temperature considerably over the dark, cool passages they had just traversed. Zuko could see the waves of heat rising off the paved stones in the courtyard and he felt his eyes water slightly at the bright light. Blinking a little, he paused right on the threshold, looking down across the low steps and landings into the plaza. They were here.

_And it seems he's still an instant comrade,_ he thought wryly as he watched Sokka slapping startled and bemused servants on the back and shaking the life back into their arms. Even at this distance he could see how much Sokka had changed, both in his body and his movements. The man was like an overly-friendly puma, lean muscles obvious even under the thick material of his clothing, but every movement refined and precise. He felt Zouge stir a little at his side, and he looked to see his wry amusement he felt openly displayed on his son's features. Zuko allowed a small smile. "Maybe I should have warned them."

His son grinned up at him. "Who, Lord Sokka or the servants?"

"The servants. I'd forgotten how friendly he can be."

"Looks like they like him, though-once they've gotten over the shock," Zouge observed, squinting through the brightness. "I should try being that friendly once I'm in the Navy."

Zuko gave a non-committal _hmm_ before cutting the conversation short by striding out into the sunlight. Zouge couldn't match the swift, silent strides of his father just yet, but he padded softly in his wake. Zuko schooled his features into a properly welcoming, yet reserved expression, and he saw Jorun glance up at him with a twitch of surprise flitting across his face before it was swiftly concealed. Zuko resisted twitching his eyebrows. Jorun was, amazingly, the _least_ stuffy of his non-military staff, but even he could be relied on to make a diplomatic affair out of anything, even something as innocuous as a visit by friends. True, technically it was royalty visiting royalty, but he had stubbornly argued down any mentions of official welcomes, official presentations, all the official whatevers the diplomatic corps wanted to attach to what was essentially an old friend and his daughter stopping by on their way to the North. He doubted Sokka would be offended by lack of protocol, and even if he was, Zuko was confident he could find a way to placate him.

Assuming he still knew Sokka as well as he had twenty years ago.

But any doubts he had were knocked aside for the moment, first by a flash of brilliant blue eyes (which made the by-now familiar glance to the right side of his face), followed by a yell and the mass of Water Tribe that hit him at a dead run and enveloped him in a bonecreaking hug. He heard Zouge try to stifle a hoarse laugh at the sight, but Zuko was already (_almost_ automatically) returning the hug strength for strength. Sokka withdrew and punched him on the shoulder, teeth bared in a wide grin that flashed from his dark face. "Good to see you, man!" Sokka exclaimed, voice carrying through the hot air. "How've you been?"

Zuko wavered for a moment against the force of that grin, then abandoned any attempt to control his expression. His face felt like it would crack under toothy smile spreading across it. It felt good. "I've been well! What about you? Any tigerseals knock sense back into you yet?"

Sokka mockgrimaced. "A few came close, but where would we be now if I had any sense?"

"Better off than having a madman as our 'great leader'!" Zuko chided, before looking over Sokka's shoulder. "Tell me the madness has spared the next generation, at least!"

Sokka laughed, a rich sound that also carried across the nearly empty plaza, as he turned to wave who could only be his daughter forward. "Well, I'm sorry to say she hasn't quite got her dad's recklessness, but she's pulled a few tricks I'd be proud to call my own. Kya, this is the Sifu Hotman himself, Zuko!"

Once again, a strangled laugh erupted from behind. Zuko groaned a little, inwardly, even as he returned Kya's polite bow. "I am pleased to meet you at long last, Kya," Zuko murmured, noting the style of her movements as distinctly Kyoshi. "And the young man behind me, who will be calling me Sifu Hotman for the next week or so, is Zouge, my eldest."

Zouge stepped forward, bowing with the Flame once to Sokka, once to Kya, face uncharacteristically solemn but with golden eyes glowing with anticipation almost as brightly as the Crown Prince Flame astride his topknot in the midday sun. As soon as he straightened he blurted, "You're Master Piandao's heir, right? Could you show me some moves while you're here?"

Sokka's grin, if it was possible, grew wider. "Oh, I think I could squeeze in a little swordplay-especially if your old man here thinks he could scrounge up some fight in him." He sidled alongside Zuko and poked him in the ribs with an elbow. "I hear you haven't been keeping up with your dao like you should."

Zuko raised his eyebrows. "I guess I could brush the dust off them and send you flying into the dirt a few times while you're here."

"Yeah, yeah," Sokka said with a nonchalant expression, draping an arm over Zuko's shoulders and waving the other. "Confidence _is_ key, but we'll see how you've held up being spoiled by a palaceful of servants meeting your every whim." Zuko frowned. Royalty he may be, but Zuko hadn't forgotten the training that had led him back to his throne. Sokka grinned again when Zuko flexed his shoulders, the movement discernible even through the heavy fabric. Then, with no warning, Sokka had Zuko in a headlock.

"Come on, then, Hotman! Let's see what you got!" He taunted, rubbing his free fist on the crown of Zuko's head. A flare of anger burst in Zuko's belly as he heard Jorun and the servants still gathered around the palanquins gasp. Someone even let out a shrill, nervous giggle at seeing the Fire Lord's face squashed between some Watertribesman's bicep and armpit. Zuko could feel his face burning red from both intense embarrassment and the wrath building inside him, even as he felt Sokka's sweat against the right side of his face. What was Sokka _thinking?_

Zuko would be damned if he was going to be humiliated in public. Luckily, Sokka didn't seem to be too serious about the headlock, so…

Zuko suddenly twisted and lunged to the side, dragging an open-mouthed Sokka with him. He felt his grip loosen with surprise, and he took the opportunity to rip the arm from around his neck and draw it down over his shoulder. The rest of Sokka followed, and he flipped over Zuko's shoulder and landed flat on his back on the hot plaza pavement, eyes wide, almost popping.

Zuko stood up straight, brushed off his robes and adjusted his topknot while breathing as deeply and silently as he could, forcing the anger down. Best not to start the visit off with a screaming tirade. Once he could trust his voice-

"That's _Sifu _Hotman. Or maybe Fire Lord Hotman." By this time Sokka had sat up. At those words he shook his head, laughing, his wolf tail whipping moisture into the air, face utterly recalcitrant. Zuko grimaced before turning his head towards the servants and glaring. One of them, the giggler perhaps, gulped a little and they turned as one towards the palanquins and started hoisting them on their shoulders to take away. Jorun stared mildly at a point just above and beyond Zuko's left shoulder. Zuko's eyes narrowed before looking back at the children. Zouge's mouth was a perfect O of incredulity. Kya's face was a burning crimson, her hands intertwined as if she had been wringing them anxiously while her father had scuffled with the Fire Lord.

_Great way to start off the visit._ Sighing, he stooped and offered Sokka a hand up, frowning a little as Sokka's sweaty hand enveloped his. Sokka bounced to his feet.

"Not bad!" he gushed, trying to put his arm around Zuko's shoulders again. Zuko shrugged him off.

"I'll show you to your rooms, where you can get comfortable," he said with practiced evenness. Sokka's expression crinkled a bit at the sudden neutral tone. The almost-pout started to deflate Zuko's annoyance, but it flared up again when Jorun stepped forward. Zuko could tell from his prim expression that he meant to separate the unacceptably uncivilized tribesman from his lord as soon as possible, but even now he wouldn't abandon Sokka to the diplomatic corps. Not yet, anyway. "No, no, Jorun, I'm perfectly capable of escorting our guests," Jorun opened his mouth. "_And_ I will have plenty of time to get to my afternoon meetings." Jorun closed his mouth with a snap, bowed, and withdrew a few respectful steps, mouth set into a stiff line.

There was a silence as they climbed the wide steps to the palace gates. Sokka, of course, couldn't stand silence. "I can't wait to get this thing off," he said, pulling a little on his collar as he fell into step beside Zuko. "It looks good-well, great on me, but I hate ceremonial robes." Zouge, walking on Zuko's other side, seemed to have recovered from his disbelief and beamed at Sokka's words. Zuko simply shook his head. "But you two are dressed down. Should I be insulted or…?"

_Oh. Well then. _"If you'd like I could leave you here to wait while we summoned the Imperial Guard and the ministers of government for a welcoming ceremony. We could get you into the palace in five hours or so, plus another hour for your reception in the audience chamber, with the wall of fire going the whole while. How does that sound?" Zuko asked, stopping just before the doors and raising an arm as if to summon a messenger.

Sokka gaped at him. "Five hours just to get someone into the palace?"

Zuko smiled, a tad of malice showing through. "Four hours to prepare, one hour for the actual ceremony. If you'd given us notice of your fragile ego, you wouldn't have to wait through the preparations, but as it is-"

Sokka grumbled. Zuko laughed quietly as he stepped into the palace, his good humor beginning to return. "If it's any consolation, when you're Chief you'll have no choice but to be welcomed that way." Sokka nodded and then looked around in dismay, tugging at his collar as he registered the temperature of the entrance hall, but he settled down once they passed into the cooler, darker, narrower passages beyond. Zuko shook his head pityingly. "You've spent months in the open in the Earth Kingdom _and_ Fire Nation, and you still can't take a little heat? Your daughter hasn't said a word about it. How are you doing in this climate, Kya?" Zuko looked back towards Kya as she solemnly walked beside Zouge.

_Well, it doesn't look like a fairy tale is about to instantly erupt between those two,_ he thought as he caught the awkward looks on their faces-Zouge with one hand behind his head in a nervous gesture and looking off to one side, and Kya with her hands clasped in front of her, eyes down. It wasn't surprising, though, even without Sokka's antics-Zouge was like an open book to anyone he knew well, but years of formal education had taught him not to be too friendly with a complete stranger. Kya was two years older than him, anyway, and the age difference may prove insurmountable, small though it may be. Kya, on the other hand, had never been further north than Kyoshi Island as far as he knew, and it looked like the strangeness of this environment was overwhelming her a little. He smiled encouragingly at her when she glanced up at his question, and was pleased when he got a small smile in reply.

"It's-different," she said softly. "Even on Kyoshi, the summers are cool and it rains a lot-I mean, often."

"You've been to Kyoshi?" asked Zouge brightening. "Your mom was from there, right? Are you a Kyoshi warrior?" Zuko tensed a little at the mention of Suki, but he relaxed when Kya answered evenly.

"Not officially, but my mom trained me as much as she could. And I have this." A fan appeared in her hand from seemingly nowhere. She waved it a couple of times, and then it disappeared, up her sleeve, presumably.

Zouge whistled appreciatively. "Cool! Mom was giving me knifethrowing lessons. We should spar!"

"I don't think so." Zuko's tone brooked no argument.

From anyone but Sokka, apparently. "Aw, come on, Zuko, you know better than anyone how aweso-I mean, educational cross-disciplinary sparring is!" He looked back at Zouge in appraisement. "Besides, it'd be good for Mai to see how Kyoshi Island has adapted to her style."

Zouge's eyebrows raised a little at that, and Kya smiled. Zuko smiled, too. "It's good to know they remember her so fondly."

"Indeed they do-where is Mai, anyway? And _your_ daughter-Yiyan, I think?"

A cold breeze seemed to blow through the hallway, and Zuko hesitated before answering. "She's off on a visit with family. She took Yiyan with her."

"Oh really? Where?" Sokka's hardheadedness was suddenly a blessing. He didn't seem to notice Zuko's hesitancy.

"Ember Island."

"Oh, of course, where else? When will she be back?"

He felt rather than heard Zouge shift uncomfortably, his steps a little more halting. Zuko looked straight ahead. "Mai hasn't seen her family for a long time, so she'll be there for the rest of summer, at least."

"Too bad. She was always good in a fight. I was hoping she'd show Kya some things, but I'm sure Zouge will do just as well." Sokka quirked an eyebrow at the crown prince, and got a determined, confident nod in return.

Sokka kept up a constant stream of chatter as Zuko led them to the guest quarters, which were, if possible, even more opulently decorated than the gold, jade, and scarlet silk-bedecked hallways of the main palace. Here the treasures, colors, and precious stones of the other three nations had been integrated with those of the Fire Nation, and the effect was a flowery oasis in a fiery red desert. They stopped before a heady wooden door with the symbol of Water embossed at eye level. Zuko opened it and waved Sokka and Kya through before he and Zouge followed. Blue was the dominant color in this room, but it was brightened by furnishings and wall hangings trimmed with white and paintings that showed aspects of polar life. Despite the colors, the furniture was unmistakably Fire Nation. Opposite the door was a wide bed with the thin sheets that were all that was needed in the heat of the tropical night, and low, wooden furnishings burnished with the dark, flame retardant polish that was a dire necessity in this palace. Sliding translucent paper doors made up one wall. Sokka slid one open and nodded appreciatively at the shaded veranda that completely surrounded a small courtyard garden filled with blossoms of riotous color. Sokka then headed for a door by the right of the head of the bed, opening it to find an identical, mirrored room beyond. From where he was standing, Zuko caught a glimpse of a servant woman flitting through the entryway, leaving behind canvas and tigersealskin bags neatly arrayed on the bed. _Must be Kya's. Women never travel light._

"Oh, good, my bags are here!" exclaimed Sokka happily, bouncing through the doorway to begin rummaging through the-pile would be the best word-of luggage. "They must be having trouble with yours, Kya, they haven't come yet. I told you you wouldn't need that much of your wardrobe up North…"

"Said the peacock to the bird-of-paradise," retorted Kya, at last showing some of the spirit Katara had described with more than a little pride. _Ah. She's may get overwhelmed, but she's not out of her depth for long,_ thought Zuko. _Hopefully Zouge knows what he's getting into._ Zouge had missed Kya's retort, however; he was watching Sokka look through his bags, perhaps hoping to see a boomerang or the like. Its absence on Sokka's back had not gone unnoticed by Zuko, although Space Sword Two was there, as if it hadn't moved in two decades.

He glanced through the still-open sliding door to the veranda, seeing the time on the sundial placed in the center of the garden. It was almost time.

"Zouge and I will let you settle in. I'm sure your baggage will be here soon, Kya, but I'll send a servant to see where it is. Zouge?"

Zouge tore himself with utmost reluctance from Sokka's side. Indeed, the Watertribesman had unpacked a wicked looking boomerang and was testing the edge, checking for damage during the trip. "But Dad," said Zouge, an edge of whine in his voice. "It's just the army generals. They're just going to complain about-" he cut off at an impatient sign from his father. Sokka and Kya didn't need to know about-

"Complain about what?" _Damn._ Sokka had come through the doorway, still inspecting the boomerang, but with intense interest in his voice. "Haven't they accepted the downsizing yet? It's been a while since they've been an expeditionary force."

Zouge opened his mouth to reply, but a sharp look from his father made him shut it again with an audible snap. Zuko considered his words carefully before replying. "Some on the military council believe wherever a Fire National goes, there also is the Fire Nation. This has led to some-interesting-conclusions about the United Republic, and Republic City in particular."

Sokka looked up and nodded with a pensive expression. "Conclusions no doubt influenced by its former status as Yu Dao."

Zuko sighed. "Yeah. Ever since it became independent, Republic City has put a dent in the Fire Nation's industries, metalworking in particular since the mines don't have to ship the ore here and the metal back. There are other concerns, of course; but you shouldn't have to worry about things like that while you're here."

"Yeah, not while we're on vacation!" said Sokka brightly, but then a calculating look overtook him. "Although-while I'm here-it would be interesting to see how the Fire Nation military operates. See if I can't pick up some useful stuff for the Water Tribe…"

_Oh no. Does he…?_ Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zouge brighten as he picked up on Sokka's train of thought. _Oh please, spirits, don't let him-!_

But the spirits were not listening today, and before Zuko could cut him off, Zouge blurted, "Do you want to come and watch the meeting? It's going to be in the throne room! You should come, you could tell the Army how much better it would be to favor the Navy instead of-"

"_Zouge_. Our guests just arrived, and I'm sure they'd like nothing more than to-"

"Then to come!" Sokka dropped the boomerang on the bed and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Sure, I'll be there! When is it?"

Zuko did not need this, and tried to express how much he did not need this with every syllable. "Sokka, there is absolutely no need-"

"I know, I want to! When's the meeting, Zouge?"

"Um, in thirty minutes! Me and Dad gotta go get ready, but I'll send a servant to come get you!"

"Sounds great! I'll see you there! You guys go get ready, I know how much time it takes for your dad to get himself pretty. The time he used to take getting ready in the mornings at the Western Air Temple…" said Sokka with an air of dreamy reminiscence even as he bustled Zouge and Zuko towards the door.

Zuko tried one last tactic.

"It's formal wear only, and I've ordered a meal for you two to be served as soon as you want it…"

Sokka paused just long enough for Zuko to feel a bit of hope. Then it crushed. "I can wait to eat. I've got an honest-to-goodness warrior's kit that almost brand-new I can change into. Would that be good?"

"Yeah!" Zouge's exuberance only increased at the prospect of seeing an honest-to-goodness Water Tribe warrior's kit.

"Alright then! I'll see you guys in a half-hour!" And Sokka closed the door in Zuko's panicky face.

Zouge began dragging Zuko along the hallway by the arm. "Come on, Dad! This might actually be fun, once Sokka gets a load of what the Army generals have been up to!"

_Indeed,_ thought Zuko blankly as his mind raced, thinking of any excuses he could use to delay or cancel the meeting, but the truth was it had already been delayed several times, and the Army was still twitchy enough to take any snubs, perceived or real, much too seriously.

_Which is why I need to keep Sokka away. If he opens his mouth in a roomful of generals, most of whom were once committed to wiping out his people, snubs will be the least of our problems._

As he allowed his son to lead him through the palace, a sickly feeling settled in his stomach. This visit was already promising to cause a lot of trouble.


End file.
